Friday was the deadline to file personal bills in the Idaho House, and more than a dozen were submitted, with all but three of them sponsored by outspoken Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard. All personal bills in the House are referred to the House Ways & Means Committee, a leadership-dominated panel where they typically die. Last week, House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said that’s always been his practice, and he’s following the lead of previous House speakers. Bedke said allowing personal bills to be heard would evade the committee process – aside from personal bills, all bills must receive a committee’s support to be introduced and get a bill number.

Today, freshman Rep. Christy Zito, R-Hammett, rose on the House floor and asked unanimous consent to send her personal bill – HB 428, to ban lobbyist gifts – to the House State Affairs Committee instead of the Ways & Means Committee. When there was an objection, Zito made a motion, and the House went at ease.

Members of leadership from both parties gathered in the hallway outside the chamber with Zito and Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, for a confab. Finally, the House went back into session, and Bedke ruled that a second of Zito’s motion by Rep. Karey Hanks, R-St. Anthony, would be recognized, though she didn’t rise to second the motion, as House procedures require. “I’ll allow it this time,” Bedke said.

Zito told the House, “I just feel that State Affairs is the germane committee for this bill, and I would like for it to have its hearing there.”

House Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa, said, “I do appreciate the debate and I respect the lady’s opinion to move the bill to State Affairs. We’ve had a longstanding tradition in the House that all personal bills would be referred to Ways & Means.” And Crane noted that Bedke reminded lawmakers of that at the start of this year’s session. “So it was very clear what the procedure was going to be.” Crane asked the House to support leadership on the procedural issue and vote against the motion. It then failed, 10-59.

The only “yes” votes for Zito’s motion came from Reps. Giddings, Hanks, Kingsley, Moon, Nate, Scott, Shepherd, Zito and Zollinger, all Republicans, and one Democrat – Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, who is running for governor. Jordan had filed her own personal bill Friday, on net neutrality.

After the motion failed, Bedke announced, “428 will be referred to the Ways & Means Committee,” as will the rest of the personal bills filed before Friday’s deadline.

At the end of today’s floor session, there was a “special presentation” – a House tradition, in which a statue of a crow – known as “the crow” – goes to the representative who last got fewer than 20 votes for a motion or bill. Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, had it last, from last year, and said he got it for trying to encourage bills to move through committees. Nate said he believes that process is working well this year. “The good lady from 23 has earned the crow today,” Nate announced, referring to Zito, and added, “It also represents a badge of honor for trying to do the right thing.”

To laughter, Bedke said, “If that’s how you want to look at it.”

After the House adjourned, Bedke said, "I am not doing anything that has not been done for decades here. If you want to make a statement, you bring a personal bill. If you want to make a difference, you bring an RS and you work through the process."

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